Shoe tree



Oct. 27, 1970 s. GRANATA SHOE TREE Filed Feb. 9, 1968 United StatesPatent O Int. cl. A43d 5/00 U.S. Cl. 12117.4 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates toa shoe tree having an anatomic shape and of the type withinterarticulated parts. It is known that commercially available shoetrees of said type adopt the use of devices which simultaneously connectthe component parts of the shoe tree and enable the mutual spacing apartor approachment of said parts. These devices are generally formed by aplurality of articulated levers having an essentially pantographmovement, as well as means designed to control the movement of saidlevers.

Whilst these devices are widely employed in anatomic shoe trees andwhilst they are advantageous from some points of view, they arenevertheless subject to not inconsiderable disadvantages among which themost notable is the laboriousness and difficulty of manufacture of thedevices.

Another disadvantage manifests itself in the corresponding difiicultyand laboriousness inherent in the operation of mounting said devices onshoe trees. A further disadvantage is due to the fact that said devicesare generally of unwidely dimensions whence their application toanatomic shoe trees is such as to alter the line of the shoe tree.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the present invention isthat of devising an anatomic form shoe tree of articulated type whichemploys a device for the connection of the component parts and for themutual spacing apart and approachment of said parts, said device beingsuch as to obviate completely the above-indicated disadvantages; that isto say a device of ready and economic manufacture and similarly readyand rapid fitting to shoe trees, as well as having limited encumberanoedimensions in order to be Well adapted to the line of the shoe tree.

Another object of this invention is that said device be of generalapplication and of simple working even after a prolonged period ofnon-use.

A not final object of the present invention is that said device beeasily obtainable from materials which are of ready commercialavailability and such as to provide the normally required qualities ofhigh mechanical resistance and resistance to wear, as well as involvingknown work processes designed to enable high daily productions in mannersuch that the shoe tree according to the invention be advantageous alsofrom a strictly economic point of view.

These and still other objects, which will better appear hereinafter, areachieved by a shoe tree having a forward member with surfaces having ashape corresponding substantially to the shape of the interior surfacesof at least one forward part of a shoe and a rearward portion withsurfaces corresponding substantially to the shape of the Patented Oct.27,, 1970 ICC interior surfaces of at least a rearward part of the shoe,characterized in comprising a rod arranged between said forward and saidrearward parts and extending in the longitudinal direction of the shoetree, said rod having sections with opposite screw threads and a controlmember for rotating it, threaded holes in said forward and said rearwardparts, said sections with opposite screw threads being respectivelyadapted to be screwed in said threaded holes, thereby to approachtowards and space from each other said forward and rearward parts of thescrew thread.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further characteristics and advantageswill appear more clearly from the following detailed description of ananatomic shoe tree according to the invention, illustrated by way ofnon-limiting example in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a shoe tree according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective and partly separated view of a device for theconnection, spacing apart and approachrnentof the component parts ofsaid shoe tree according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal median section of said device associated tosaid parts in closed position;

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal median view of said device associated tosaid parts in open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the saidfigures, the shoe tree 1, according to the invention, which isadvantageously produced in synthetic plastics material, has an anatomicform and is constituted by parts 2 and 3 associated to one another inessentially articulate manner by a connection device generally indicatedat 4 in FIG. 1; this device 4, which will be described in greater detailhereinafter, enables the mutual spacing and approachment of said parts 2and 3. Said part 2 is provided, at the end thereof facing the part 3,with a pair of transverse bafiles 5 and 5d defining an externallyaccessible space 6 therebetween in which a plate-like member 7 isarranged in essentially snap engagement manner, whereby member 7 isfixed in its position.

In order to prevent member 7 to be extracted from its exact positionbetween the bafiles 5, 5a, a stop or catch 711 may be provided on thebottom of member 7 cooperating with the flange-like portions 7b on thetop of member 7 thereby engaging therebetween the bafile 5.

The mounting may be achieved by elastic deformation of the syntheticmaterial of which the entire device is perferably made.

The part 2 is provided with substantially plate-like bottom member 8arranged adjacent the insole of the shoe tree and provided in its uppersection with longitudinal reliefs or guideways 9 and 10. Bottom member 8is advantageously molded as an integral member of the side wall 2a ofthe part 2 and of the baffle or cross-piece 5a. Also the baflie orcross-piece 5 is molded as an integral member of part 2 so that theparts 2, 5, 5a and 8 may be molded as one piece. The bottom member 8 maybe arranged at a distance from side Wall 2b of part 2 so that a gap isprovided therebetween which allows a better handling and mountingoperation. Shoulders 2c and 2d are provided as suitable stop means.

The part 3 is transversely provided with spaced baffles 11, 11a, whichdefine a space 12 therebetween in which a plate-like member 13 isarranged in essentially snap engagement manner.

To prevent extratcion of member 13 from its position between baffles 11and Ho a catch or stop portion 13a is provided on the bottom of member13 and engaging the bottom of baffle 11. A flange portion 13b engagesthe top of baflile 11, thus preventing any vertical movement of member13.

This plate-like member 13 is hinged through its upper flange-likeportion 13b and, by pivoting along an axis 14, to a further plate-likemember which is provided in its lower section with notches 15a and 16arranged to be slidingly engaged with said reliefs or guideways 9 and11). The hinge connection between members 13 and 15 is obtained bypin-like projections coaxial with axis 14 provided rigid with member 15and engaging rotatably in holes provided in lugs extending from thesides of the flange like portion 1312. Consequently, in assembledposition member 13 is rigid with member 3 and may be rotated togethertherewith about the axis 14. The device for the connecion and the mutualspacing and approachment of the parts 2 and 3 comprises further a rod 17having two inversely threaded sections 18 and 19. These sections 18 and19 are respectively screwed in threaded holes 170 and 15b provided inthe plate-like member 7 and the plate-like member 15 respectively underthe control of a knurled knob 20 mounted in central position on said rod17 and fast therewith.

The mounting and the working of the previously described device will beevident. In fact, by effecting a simple rotation of the knob 18, themutual spacing or approachment of the plate-like members 7 and 15 isdetermined and thus of the parts 2 and 3 connected therewith and formingthe anatomic shoe tree according to the invention.

The movement of said parts is further eased and centered by the presenceof said longitudinal guides 9 and 10 in constant engagement with thenotches 15a and 16 of the plate-like member 15.

From what has been described and illustrated it will be evident that theshoe tree according to the invention achieves completely all thepre-determined objects, with especial reference to the simplicity of itsstructure the ease of manufacture and the general and practicalapplication of the device employed by it for the articulation of thecomponent parts. Moreover, the limited encumbrance presented by thisdevice is such as not even minimally to alter the aesthetic line of theshoe tree according to the invention.

I claim:

1. A shoe tree having a forward member with surfaces having a shapecorresponding substantially to the shape of the interior surfaces of atleast one forward part of a shoe and a rearward portion with surfacescorresponding substantially to the shape of the interior surfaces of atleast a rearward part of the shoe, a rod arranged between said forwardand said rearward parts and extending in the longitudinal direction ofthe shoe tree, said rod having sections with opposite screw threads anda control member for rotating it, a plate member having a threaded hole,said plate member and one among said rear and said forwward parts havinghinge means to hingedly connect together said plate-member with said onepart about an axis transverse to said rod, another platemember fixed onthe other among said rear and said forward parts and having a threadedhole, said sections with opposite screw threads being respectivelyadapted to be screwed in said threaded holes, thereby to approachtowards and space from each other said forward and rearward parts of theshoe tree, and wherein according to the improvement said rear andforward parts have spaced plate-like baffle members defining aninterspace therebetween and wherein said plate-like members are insertedin said interspaces thereby to be clamped therebetween, said plate-likemembers having flange-like portions engaged with the edges of saidbafi'le members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,849,753 3/1932 Conner 12117.42,359,469 10/1944 Droll 12ll7.4

FOREIGN PATENTS 746,150 3/1933 France.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner

